Portable electrically-heated radiator.



C. SCHMlDT.

PORTABLE ELECTRICALLY HEATED RADIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI2,1913.

1,141,888. Patented June 1, 1915.

INVENTOR Ilornzy CONRAD SCHMIDT, OF- SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

roa'r'amln ,nLncrnIcALLY-nnarnn namaron.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11116 1", 1915.-

Application filed Kay 12, 1913. Serial N 0. 767,081.

citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of lVashington, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Port" able Electrically-Heated Radiators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a portable heat' radiator, in whichwater is heated by an electrical apparatus, and the temperature controlled as desired, it being possible to convert the waterinto steam, and to superheat it when desired, as well as to 7 use it at a lower temperature. Provision is also 'made for utilizing the radiator for cooking purposes.- The invention consists, in its preferred form, of a portable tubular water-container and radiator, in and upon which the necessary electrical apparatus is mounted to supply heat in regulated or varied amounts,

so that the apparatus as a whole may be placed wherever desired and connected with a source of electric. current, and used not only for heating but also for cooking purposes, as I will proceed now to explain and finally claim. Y

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several fi res of which like parts are similarly deslgnated, Figure 1 is a front elevation, with some parts in section and others 'broken away. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line A B, F ig'. 1, looking down. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the right-hand end .of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line C D, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan view, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the insulated contact yoke of the rheostat; r

' The boiler 1 has the filling tube 2 which is supplied with any suitable closure 3.

4.- is the steam drum, provided witha safety valve 5, which may be of the springpressed ball variety, as shown in Fig. 1.

The boiler 1 and the drum 4 may be connected by any number of circulation and radiation tubes, and I prefer to use a centrally arranged series of relatively large tubes 6, flanked both front and rear by two or more series of smaller tubes 7 preferably arranged staggering. The larger tubes 6 may extend down into the boiler, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to returnalso the condense water from the drum to the boiler. The radiator may have the feet or stands 8 to support it in any desired position or location.

9 is a water glass or gage on the boiler.

W'ithinthe boiler 6 are the tubes 10 extending lengthwise thereof, and having their ends closed; and within these tubes are the electrical heaters, each herein shown as 'composed of a core 11, of suitable refractory substance, such as asbestos, an encircling conducting heating coil 13, and a jacket 14 of refractory material, such as asbestos inclosing said heating coil. The coils of the heaters are connected in circuit at one end, as by wires 15, and their otherends 12 are extended upwardly and coiled about a pair of porcelain cylinders or cores 16, vertically arranged at one end of the radiator, on any suitable brackets 17, and forming a pair of rheostats.

The leading-in wires 18 are connected to a switch 19, having an operating device or key '20, and flexible wires 21 connect this switch with the insulated ends of a metallic yoke 22, arranged in sliding contact with the coils of the rheosta'ts. This contact yoke is provided with a hole 23 in its center and insulating blocks 23* upon opposite sides of said hole to insulate. the ends of the yoke from its body, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The hole 23serves to receive the end of a the heating drum 1 and its piston is exposed to the pressure contained in said heating drum, so that by increase of pressure the piston will be forced down into the cylinder against the pressure of the spring and carry the contact yoke 22 down between and in contact with the coils of the rheostats. -As pressure increases upon the increase of heat, the downward movement of the contact yoke will cut in more or less of the rheostat coils and thus gradually reduce or vary the current passing to the heating coils and consequently vary the heating efiect of the coils, and restore the proper or desired temperature of the'radiator. The spring 27 acting upon the iston efiects the return movement of the yol ie upon the reduction of pressure in the radiator. The porcelain parts 16 may have the grooves 28 arranged facing one another so as to allow the wires to give and thus insure contact when the contact yoke 22 passes over them.

The operation would seem to be obvious; but it is proper to suggest that 'water is placed in the boiler to any desired level, and the. proper connection made between the wires 18 and a source of electrical current, and the water thus heated. If it is desired to convert the water into steam for steam heat, then the level of the water might be lower than it it were simply desired to heat by hot water radiation. When steam of a suliicient degree of heat and pressure is produced, the pressure will act upon the piston 25 and move it downward, thereby carrying with itthe contact yoke so as to gradually cut in niore or less of the rheostat coils. In

this way the heating capacity of the radiator is regulated automatically.

The radiator may be made and used as thus described, but its utility may be enhanced by the addition of a superheater 29, I

arranged in the drum, and a cooker 30, also arranged in the drum, either or bothof which may be used. The superheater may consist of an electric heating coil, suitably supported in the drum and connected in series with the heating element or coil 13 by the wires 15. The cooker may comprise a porcelain or other non-conducting and refractorytray 31, suitably secured in the top of the drum and provided with suitable electrio resistances 32, which are connected in series with either the superheater or boilerheater or both, or otherwise supplied with current. Switches 33 and 34 maybe used to cut in and out the superheater and the cooker, respectively.

The electrical apparatus as here shown is designed for use in connection with the ordinary domestic electric lighting circuits.

ariations in the-details of construction and arrangement are permissible within the contemplation of the invention.

What 'I claim' is l. The combination with a portable'tubular radiator having a boiler and a steam drurn or dome, a series of circulation and rad1at1on tubes connecting said boiler and steam or dome, an electric heater in said boiler, and a source of electric supply for said heater, of a rheostat connected in circuit between said heater and the source of supply and including a movable contact piece, and means connected to said movable contactpiece and exposed to and-operable j by-variations of pressure in said steam drum or dome to move said contact piece over said rheostat to gradually cut in or out moreor less of the resistance of said rheostatand menses thereby vary the current supplied to said electric heater to automatically regulate the heating capacity of the radiator in accordance with the temperature desired.

2. The combination with a portable radiator, having a boiler and a steam drum or dome, a series of circulation and radiation tubes connecting said boiler and steam drum or dome, electric heating elements arranged in said boiler, and asource of electric supply for said heating elements, of a pair of rheostats havin their resistance coils connected in circuit with said heating elements, a movable contact yoke connected with the source of supply and engaging the coils of said rheostats, a spring supported piston to which said contact yoke is connected, and a cylinder for said piston opening into said steam drum or dome and exposing said piston to the pressure therein, whereby said piston is caused to move said contact piece over said boiler, an electric heating element arranged in said steam drum or dome for superheating the steam generated therein by said boiler and connected in series with the boiler heating element, an electric cooking'element' arranged in the upper part of said steam drum or dome and connected in series with said heating elements, and switches interposed between said boiler heating element and said superheating and cooking elements for cutting in or out of circuit either or both said superheating and cooking elements.

4. In a radiator of the type described,'a

boiler, a steam drum or dome communicating with said boiler, an electric heating element arranged in said boiler for heating the water therein and generating steam in said steam drum or dome, an electric cooking element arranged in the upper part of said steam drum or dome and connected in series with said boiler heating element. and a switch interposed between said boiler heating element and, said cooking element for cutting in or out the circuit to said cooking element. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of April A. D. 1913.

CONRAD SCHMIDT. .Witnesses:

J. A. CAMZPBEIL, G. B. Dnnsnna. 

